A shop helper
Once again, I’ve come across a tool I’ve never seen before.
Once again, I’ve come across a tool I’ve never seen before.
Well, at least not in this size or form factor. Jacks of one type or another have been around forever, and panel jacks are nothing new. But most jacks are larger and more cumbersome, designed to lift things like cars, joist columns under load, and other heavy-duty tasks.
But I’ve never seen smaller ones like these, intended for carpentry, light construction and installation. I’ve hoisted a lot of drywall into position over the years, and hung my share of doors. While not exceedingly heavy, drywall and doors are a bear to hang when working alone. One of these would have been great.
They’re called, simply, construction jacks. That gold Kolvoii one on the left sells for only $30 – a pair – and is rated for 220 lbs., while the DeWalt on the far right goes for $119 each and rates at 340 lbs. The rest are priced and weight-rated between those two points.
Why the huge disparity in prices? The weight rating of the cheaper ones is considerably lower, plus the cheap ones are imports from companies you’ve never heard of. Irwin and DeWalt, on the other hand, are known brands. Although I’ve not tried any of them, I’d bet the two name-brand ones are not only better made but operate more smoothly as well.
And, while these all seem nearly identical take a closer look at the DeWalt one. The others have the operating handle/lever on the bottom and are operated by hand, but the DeWalt jack’s handle/lever is on the top. That means you can operate it with your foot and not have to bend over while juggling a cabinet or 4x8 sheet of plywood or drywall.
A couple of these around the shop would really have come in handy dozens of times in the past, even for tasks not related to construction – like leveling my cabinet saw and lathe on uneven shop floors. I have no plans to hang any drywall or cabinets anytime soon; my house, shop and garage are all complete and I don’t foresee any major reconstruction projects in my future.
Then again, I also don’t anticipate a fire, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have extinguishers here and there if I need one. One of these seems to me to be a similar kind of thing that would be nice to have around. You know, just in case.
A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.
